4 Things You Can Learn From Segway's Notorious Product Fail

About 10 years ago, inventor Dean
Kamen, in a much-anticipated introduction, brought his
Segway to the
public. Revered by the media and business-world celebrities as a
total game-changer in urban planning, transportation, and daily
life, the public ended up a bit crestfallen at what they
actually saw. It looks like a glorified scooter, and even today,
it's a rare sight to see anyone other than a mall security
officer or tourist group plodding along on one.

So what went wrong? How did one of the most buzzed-about
innovations in modern times fall so short? It's easy to see
Kamen's avoidable mistakes in hindsight. Take note to make sure
the next product or service you launch doesn't flop.

Avoid overhyping

When the super-secret project got big corporate names like
Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos to sign off, the
hype machine went into overdrive. The inventors' secrecy, the
prominence of the endorsements, and the beyond-bold claims that
this new product -- whatever it was -- would revolutionize our
lives of course combined to skyrocket expectations into the
stratosphere of the impossible.

Basically, Kamen set the Segway up to fail. Touting a single new
product as all of these things, and letting the media get carried
away without any real context, doomed the Segway to be a
disappointment. All the coverage and crazy claims could hardly be
satisfied by the actual Segway, though a more savvy (read:
scaled-back and informative) marketing strategy could have
generated interest and delivered on its promises.

Take your time

A too-eager team behind Segway let media attention spiral out of
control and built the public's anticipation up way too much.
Plus,it's probably fair to say Kamen was quite eager to make his
big reveal to the world. Initial speculation about the Segway
(then known by code names IT and Ginger) suggested it would
pioneer new technology in its engine. Kamen even registered
domains including that engine's name. But the Segway the
public saw unveiled, perhaps prematurely, in 2001 didn't match
up.

Setting deadlines is a good thing. Holding yourself accountable
to meet those set dates and times is crucial -- it helps you work
hard, be efficient, and remember your goals. But sometimes,
things just don't go as planned. Allow yourself some wiggle room,
and be willing to graciously admit that you miscalculated or
misjudged what would work. You must balance pressure to perform
with a realistic view of results. It's an important factor in
whether new ideas, products, and services succeed. They have to
be ready for consumers, and consumers have to be ready for them.

Before it was officially introduced to the public, the Segway's
allure came entirely from its mystery. Jobs and Bezos loved it,
the media praised it -- and yet, no one knew what the thing
actually was.

To an extent, the keep-'em-guessing technique is a viable one. It
gets people talking, and makes sure they'll tune in when you
finally kill the suspense by sharing your new idea. But Segway's
developers went overboard and didn't rein in the outrageous
attention they got. Consumers' and industry analysts' minds ran
wild, and when Segway finally saw the light of day, it couldn't
measure up.

Prioritize accessibility

Forget the marketing blunders that led up to Segway's release.
Heralded as one of the world's most important inventions, when it
hit the market,
its pricetag was a lofty $5,000. That was, and is, out of
reach for the everyman.

If Segway actually could have changed transportation forever,
that might not be so bad. But for a souped-up scooter that can't
withstand the elements, it's too much. Remember that the products
and services you introduce should not only resonate, but also be
available to, your customer base. If prototype versions or
initial runs wouldn't fit into those price constraints, keep
refining production until they do. Otherwise, no matter how
excited people might get about what you're offering, it can't
truly take hold.